Scrap Car Loans for MPs – Bagbin

The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has called on the state to scrap car loans for Members of Parliament.

For him, the state must bear the full cost of providing means of transport for legislators.

According to Mr Bagbin, the loan to purchase vehicles places MPs at a disadvantage, compared to those in the Executive arm of government.

Speaking exclusively to Class News’ parliamentary correspondent, Ekow Annan, Mr Bagbin, who is the Nadowli Kaleo lawmaker, called on the state to begin providing MPs with decent means of transport just like is done for Ministers, MMDCEs and other government appointees.

Asked if car loans for MPs should be scrapped, he said: “Without hesitation it should be scrapped completely. I’ll prefer that members of parliament will be supported by the state like Directors, Chief Directors, Deputy Ministers, DCEs, Ministers and others are supported. That is how members of parliament should also be supported because they are not into private business but into public business, a business of serving the people.”

“Government should provide for those (MPs) without any means of transport… why should the MP take care of his own transportation,” he quizzed.

The call has been backed by former Member of Parliament for Asikuma Odoben Brakwa, P.C Appiah Ofori, who said giving car loans to MPs makes life unbearable for lawmakers, past and present, since their take home pay after the deductions is nothing to write home about.